A hunter aims directly at a target (on the same level) 125m away. If the bullet leaves the gun at a speed of 227 m/s, by how much will it miss the target?

Question

I'm not sure how to approach this problem. I know I need to find the horizontal distance traveled, probably by finding the time it takes for the bullet to fall to the earth.

However I do not know how to start this. Don't I need a height from which the bullet starts traveling?

Answer 1

I am assuming that you mean that the hunters gun and the center of the bullseye of the target are the same distance from the ground.

Considering the horizontal velocity of the bullet alone, it will reach the target in 125/227 = .55 sec.

In this .55 sec., gravity will pull the trajectory of the bullet down a distance of h = gt^2/2 = 9.8(.55)^2/2 = 1.48m, thereby missing the center of the bullseye by 1.48m. A realistic diameter of the bullseye would alter this result.

If the target were something like a ping-pong ball, the miss distance of 1.48m becomes more realistic.